US-based video game and software retailer GameStop will stop selling the Nintendo Wii U Basic model in less than two weeks. According to website Kotaku, the retailer has announced the news to the staff, saying that all Wii U Basic hardware will be recalled on June 18, 2013.
However, neither Nintendo US nor GameStop have commented on the reason why this decision has been made, nor which company was responsible for it. A representative for Nintendo said that they do not comment on their business practices with the retailers. However, a spokesperson for Nintendo UK denied that the console maker plans to remove the basic model from sale.
If these reports are true, then this might be a very bad sign for Nintendo. Moreover, the retailer’s confidence in the UK has already been affected, as the price of the device has been cut twice so far. At the moment, the device is priced at £149, after previous price cuts in March 2013 and May 2013.
On the other hand, the sales of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are still going strong, while the retailers are not likely to expand any time soon. In addition, more and more analysts have warned that Nintendo needs to launch some big games before Microsoft and Sony’s consoles if they want to increase sales.